Early 20th Century Avant Garde Music in the 21st Century

I just returned from an extraordinarily engaging concert hosted by Waterloo’s Numus, which featured New York-based and Austrian born Dorit Chrysler, who is one of the preeminent performance artists on the Theremin. She delivered on her promise to feature the broadest possible range from classical, avant garde, pop, jazz and even the “scary” music we often associate with this early electronic instrument. And, given the delicate body motions, almost like dance with fingering, the Theremin is indeed a very demonstrative instrument, at least in the right hands.

Preceding her concert, the stage was set with the showing of the 1995 film “Theremin: An Electronic Odyssey” which was an amazing background in itself. I’ve seen the instrument played at a distance before, but since it was created in 1919, it can be considered the pioneer of modern electronic music to which we all should pay homage. If you’ve never heard Dorit or even the Theremin, check it out!

About Randall

Randall Howard is a serial entrepreneur and long term technologist with a passion for social innovation.